To Kill A Mockingbird: A Summary and Review

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February 21, 2017

One of the most classic tales in literature, To Kill A Mockingbird is known by most avid readers. This timeless story is seen through the eyes of a young, reckless girl named Scout Finch, who captures the reader’s hearts instantly, and tells the stories of Maycomb County, Alabama. One of them consists of a strange man named Boo Radley by the children. Infamous, Boo was known once known as a rebellious teenager that was locked away by his father after committing an assault crime, never to be heard from again. That is until rumors spread that he had stabbed his father in the leg, and was now locked inside his own home. With such a chilling and creepy backstory, it would seem almost impossible for Scout, Jem, and Dill to ignore the Radley home. This concluded in a variety of adventures, including almost getting shot and finding strange objects inside the Radley house tree. Eventually, however, something else had caused them to lose focus on Boo, and more towards their father. Atticus Finch, a wise man that had a high sense of dignity and fairness, was doing the unimaginable, the unbelievable, the worst thing anyone could do in the 1930’s. He was defending a black man as a lawyer. Tom Robinson, a 25 year old man, had been accused of assaulting Mayella Ewell. To Scout, just having the last name Ewell meant that you were a liar. The Ewells were a poor family that lived behind a dumpster, never bathed, did what they wanted, were cared for by the government, and most importantly, disliked by everyone in Maycomb. But with racism high in the southern town, Atticus knew he had almost no hope, but still he held his head high, and when Jem and Scout were teased at school, they also held their heads high. During the trial, it became evident that Tom was innocent, and that Robert Ewell was simply just taking advantage of his power. In the end though, racism won and named Tom guilty of assault. Yet, the trial was something that opened the eyes of the town. However, Robert Ewell had a different idea. He had expected for his trial to end with him winning in glory, with the jury proudly declaring Tom guilty. But instead the jury seemed to name Tom guilty almost unwillingly, as if they didn’t want Robert to win. In his fury, Robert knew who was to blame. Atticus Finch. On Halloween night, Scout was walking alongside Jem, heading toward their home, when suddenly Jem was pulled back into the night’s darkness. After scuffling, punching, a loud crack, and some grunts, Scout was able to drag herself back home. An unknown man arrived first, however, and he had Jem in his arms. After calling the sheriff and the doctor, it turned out that Robert Ewell had tried to kill Jem and Scout, but ended up with a knife in his chest instead. There was still one mystery left, that being the man who had saved Jem and Scout. While watching the doctor tend to Jem’s broken arm, it suddenly hit Scout. The man who had saved them was Boo Radley.

This story is a masterpiece in literature, made only by an artist like Harper Lee. Reviewing how cruel racism really was with unwavering courage, Lee is surely one of the world’s best authors. Not only does this beloved tale face racism, but also tells of childhood and the dignity that unites us all. After reading this book, your eyes will surely be opened, and the world will be seen in a new perspective.